Improvement in circuit horse-powers



STUART PERRY, OF NEVPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES II. A. CARTER, OE NEV YORK, N. Y.

HMPROVEMENT IN CIRCUIT HGRSE-POWERS.

Specification forming part of Let-ters Patent No. 36,327, dated August 2G, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STUART PERRY, of Newport, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit IrIorsePowers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l represents in perspective one form of circuit horse-power embracing my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section through the same, omitting some of the parts. Fig. 3 represents in perspective a modified form of circuit horse-powers, but embracing the same general characteristics of the invention, and Fig. 4 represents -a vertical section through the same, omitting or breaking away some ofthe parts.

Similar letters of reference where the occur denote like parts in all the iigu res.

I am aware that several varieties of frictionwheel horsepowers, as contradistinguished from cogged-wheel horse-powers,have been invented and patented; but I have made such material improvements in this kind of horsepowers as to derive much more available prothe power required may demand.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A represents a base or frame for supporting the horse-power.

B C represent two hollow cups with their larger and open ends toward each other and having power-transmitting wheels a a and idlers b b, Sac., interposed between their rims or edges c c. These two cups are drawn togetheifand against the idlers and power-transmitting wheels by a rod, d, nnte, and interposed rubberf, and the cups are supported by the idlers b and wheels a, whose respective shafts or journals are supported and turn in suitable bearings on the base or frame A.

To the uppermost cup, B, is affixed or hinged a drag bar or beam, D, to which the team is hitched, and as this cup B is drawn around it gives motion by friction to the wheels a a and to their shafts g g and the wheels a c in turn, and kby friction gives motion to the under cup, C, and if by any inequalities in the team the cups should tip to one side or the other' they are caught. by the idlers, and any weight on the idlers acts to propel the lower cup as they Ibear against both, and this lower cup being in friction-contact with the power receiving and transmitting wheels a a there is no lost power, as every wheel has opposite to it another wheel, which takes or gives power, as the case may be, and nothing moves against a stationary surface except the smalljournals of the wheels, which, when run in oil-boXes, is is very slight indeed. On the inner ends of the shaftsgg are disks or wheels It 11., which press against the perimeter of a small wheel, t', on a shaft,j, giving said shaft a-high speed, and upon this sh aftj may be the crank k or belt-wheel Z, from which the power may be taken to any machine to be driven by it. It is necessary that the bearings and fastenings of these several parts Ashould be such as that they may be set up to each other, so as to make the necessary pressure between them, and this pressure, like that between the two cups, may be of an elastic character` and changeable at pleasure or as the lamount of contact-friction between them may be found necessary.

The adjustments in the shafts and bearings are shown, and need not be more specifically referred to.

It will be observed that all the opposing surfaces in this horse-power are met and counteracted or resisted by another surface in motion, so that the journals of the wheels may be very small indeed, not having anything to resist, but merely to keep in proper place, and being so small the friction in their bearings is pro portionately reduced. The bearing-surfaces of these friction-wheels are so inclined as to give the most available contact for the purpose, and to prevent them from wearing away their contact-surfaces may be cast in a chill. Should any of the contact-surfaces wear away by use, the several wheels or rollers may be moved up to each other to compensate for the wear, and when worn too much to admit of further adjustment they can be replaced by others at a very slight cost.

In Figs. 3 and L a modified construction of friction horse-power after my plan is shown, in which a large traction-wheel, E, is placed on the outer end of the bar or shaft D, which wheel E in rolling over the ground or prepared track gives a rotary motion to said shaft or bar D, and this shaft has secured to its inner end a friction-wheel, m, and to the standard or support n, in the same plane with the wheel m, is placed another wheel, o, of the same diameter as the wheel m, which turns loosely on its journal r. The wheels m o, instead of being pressed between the hollow cups, as shown in Figs. l and 2, are pressed between two flat disks, BAC, by means of the rod d, nut e, and elastic springf, as in the rirstdescribcd case and for the same purposes. The wheel o may be termed an idler, inasmuch as its duty is to keep thewheels or disks B C in proper working position and offer a moving surface to them to avoid the lost friction that an immovable surface to accomplish this end would cause. So, too, of the undermost disk h.. It serves the serves the purpose of an idler to the upper disk k and to the friction-wheels t' i i between them, which may be used as power-transmitting wheels. Thus, as

I in Figs. l and 2, each and every power-creating or power-transmitting wheel has its idler, and whatever pressure is put upon the disks B Gis removed from the shafts, journals, or bearings and counteracted by an idler or idlers. By this mode of construction I avoid `tractive force that will produce great propulsion without slipping.

The advantages of this kind of horsepower v over those worked by cogged wheels are many. It makes the machine light, compact, and cheap. A higher speed can be procured out of smaller wheels. There is not so much danger of breakage, (the breaking of a single cog in a horse-power rendering it useless until a new and eXactly-tting wheel is prepared.)

VThe shaft D in Fig. 3 is hung in a rocking box at s to allow it to yield to any inequalities in the path ot' the traction-weel E.

The wheels or rollers b in Fig. 1, I have termed idlers Their main duty, however, is to keep the top cup, B, in proper position, which its shaft d might fail to do; but the lower cup, C, in its action completely fills the measure of what I mean by an idler. It does not create, but it does not impair, the power created. It helps to transmit without friction the power created by the friction-wheels. The wheels or rollers b are not to this extent idlers, though I have called them idlers The cup C is an` idler in the full sense of that term.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim in a friction-whe`el horse power 1. The combinationof friction-wheels and idlers, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

2. In combination with the friction-wheels and idlers, the elastic pad fand nut e, for regulating the pressure between the rolling contact-surfaces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

STUART PERRY.

Witnesses:

` En. G. CHAPMAN,

WILLM. CHAPMAN. 

